When Did She Stop Being 8
by Ray by Another Name
Summary: So, you know how Dez goes from saying 'dude, she's like 8, deal with this' in regards to Melanie and then is suddenly interested in dating her? This is my attempt to bridge that gap. Focuses on Dez. Disclaimer: I do not own Bunheads


So, you know how Dez goes from saying 'dude, she's like 8, deal with this' in regards to Melanie and then is suddenly interested in dating her? This is my attempt to bridge that gap. Focuses on Dez.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bunheads

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Chapter 1  
When the Hell did That Happen

It started how most of these things start, at the clichéd house party all the teen movies rave about. Dez was just watching people dance until he stumbled upon a girl that peaked his interest. And his eyes automatically glued to her ass – his personal favorite part of any body – as she swayed to the music.

Melon was mildly amused when he noticed what had caught his friend's interest. He elbowed Bud next to him and they exchanged a smirk. "You might want to stop ogling Melanie, dude," Bud said, with only a hint of laughter in his voice.

"Yeah, you know how Charlie gets about her," Melon added in, pushing Dez's shoulder when he noticed the glazed look in Dez's eyes.

Dez didn't even look away from the dance floor, "What?"

"Dude," Melon laughed, "Move your eyes up." Bud grabbed Dez's chin and forced him to focus on something above the waist.

Dez's eyes widened in shock as he took in the face of Charlie's sister. She was laughing with her friends, completely oblivious. But he had to admit, she was pretty when she smiled.

"When the hell did that happen?!" Dez groaned, trying to expunge the thoughts from his head. He put his face in his hands, but it served only in making Melon and Bud laugh. He supposed it was just luck that Charlie wasn't there.

Charlie arrived as if on cue, drinks in hand. He looked at Dez, "What's with you?"

Dez groaned again, "I need some air." He grabbed one of the beers out of Charlie's hand and headed for the door. Not looking any of them in the eye. Luck obviously was not on his side.

"Anyone want to explain what just happened?" Charlie gestured after Dez with his head as he handed Bud and Melon their beers.

"Dez just figured out Mel's a girl." Melon chortled; far more amused than strictly necessary.

"Really?" Charlie ticked his head to the side, only a little surprised.

"Yup." Bud nodded, smiling in anticipation for Charlie's explosion.

"Huh." Charlie shrugged and promptly ditched them to flirt with Stacia.

Bud and Melon deflated. That had not been what they expected. But then, there was still Dez.

"This. Will be so amusing." Melon and Bud exchanged an amused grin before heading after the gorilla of the group.

-'-

"You're doing it again," Bud elbowed Dez when he looked over and saw him looking across the room. Again.

Dez ran a hand over his face to distract himself. Otherwise he'd just keep watching her - the way she half-smiled when she made a sarcastic joke, the way her eyes lit up when she talked about dancing, her hair messy from -

"Put me out of my misery," Dez whined as he face-planted the cafeteria table.

Bud laughed, "No way, this is more entertaining than the time your mom caught Charlie with Sarah Jane at your 14th birthday party."

"What is?" Melon dropped his tray on the table.

"Dez is mind-humping Melanie again."

"I am not!" Dez glared at his friends, "She's just…"

"Charlie's sister." Bud started.

"Who he has spent his whole life scaring guys away from." And Melon happily finished.

"Do you think she knows he does that?" Melon shrugged.

"Pretty sure she figured it out when he punched Ronnie in the nose for asking her to play spin the bottle in 8th grade."

"Man, your 14th birthday was awesome." Bud slapped Dez on the shoulder.

"Given how much you bring it up." Dez rolled his eyes and tried to focus on his lunch.

Melon broke the silence, "You gonna tell Charlie?"

"Tell him what?" Dez sighed as he poked at what he was fairly sure was mashed potatoes.

"That you wanna bang his sister obviously." Bud grinned at the glare Dez leveled on him, "Am I wrong?"

"I'm not going to do anything."

"Dude!" Melon snorted, "Even the dumb jocks have noticed."

"Meaning what?" Dez rolled his shoulders, determined to ignore whatever this was until it passed.

"Meaning you can't do subtle." Bud told him, still grinning.

Their amusement at his misery aside, they weren't wrong. Dez groaned, shoving his lunch away, "This sucks."

-'-

"Charlie," Dez nudged his friend's foot, "I need to tell you something."

Charlie took off his headphones and sat up on his bed, "What's up?" Dez took a breath and straightened in the computer chair.

"I like your sister." Silence. "Like, interested in." Blank face. "Like, romantically interested." Silence. "But I'm not gonna ask her out or anything-"

"Why not?" Charlie's question threw Dez off, "You've liked Mel since we were kids, dude, been fairly obvious."

"What?!" Dez stood up, "No, I haven't."

Charlie laughed, "Yeah, you have. You even kissed her once when we were six because you didn't want anyone else to have her first one."

"That... I didn't..." Dez sat back down. Confused. He had done that hadn't he...

"Can I go back to my music now?" Charlie held up his headphones, eyes expectant.

Dez continued in his confusion, "Shouldn't you want to hit me or something?"

"Why? You're less likely to hurt her than I am." Charlie shrugged, the paused "I will kick your ass if you do though, just on principle." There was grinning and then Charlie went back to his music.

Why did all of his friends find this so amusing? Dez blew out a breath. The difficult part was done though, right?

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